QuickBooks hosting service worth considering

If you always work from your office, and if everyone that needs access to QuickBooks data is connected to the same local network, running QuickBooks locally is adequate for managing all of your accounting needs.

However, if you are an accounting professional in need of an online solution for remotely accessing client payroll and financial records, or you are a bookkeeper looking for an effective way to service your geographically separated customers, you will need remote access to your QuickBooks database. Some options to consider include:

Remote access software programs: Search remote access tool online and you'll find link after link to different companies, such as GoToMyPC or LogMeIn, offering downloadable software that enables you to remotely access your computer via the internet. While this can be convenient, there are several drawbacks. Access speed is dependent upon the host computer's speed and its Internet connection, which can make the process very slow. Secondly, you have to leave your computer on and running while you're gone or you won't be able to access your files, which can raise some security issues. Thirdly, with these programs you are accessing, the entire host computer - not just QuickBooks - is accessible to anyone else you allow to remotely log in (including all of your files and potentially your e-mail). Again, this raises security questions and makes this approach much less useful for multiple-user purposes.

QuickBooks Online Edition allows remote access to QuickBooks. However, it is not the same as the desktop version of QuickBooks, and it has some important limitations. QuickBooks Online does not have all of the features offered by the desktop QuickBooks. Also, QuickBooks Online is run on Intuit's server, which means that heavy traffic on the site can lead to slower response time, not to mention that if your Internet connection - or Intuit's server - goes down, you have no means of accessing your data.

With QuickBooks hosting all QuickBooks applications, add-ons, and files are maintained on the hosting company's servers. As long as you have Internet access, you can work anywhere at any time, without needing to leave your computer on, Furthermore, access privileges can be tailored to each user, making multi-person access easy and secure.

QuickBooks hosting installation

QuickBooks hosting is simple to install. It doesn't require any technical proficiency to set up, just an Internet connection, a license for your current version of QuickBooks, and login credentials from your hosting provider.

Once the installation is complete, you will see an icon on your desktop. QuickBooks will run the same exact way as if it were installed on your local machine.

Benefits of using QuickBooks hosting include:

Access from anywhere: Never be tied to your office computer or network. CFO, tax compliance, book work, and more can be done remotely and everyone will always be looking at the most recent and accurate data. Also, if you choose a Citrix hosting provider, you can access your data with any device including a Mac, thin client, PC, and mobile device.

No file-sharing complications: With QuickBooks hosting, you, your clients, and employees all work from the same online database. The files update for everyone every time you save your work, and you don't have to install a specific version of QuickBooks on any of the computers being used. Never worry about data synchronization, backups, or large file transfers.